The use of cast modular components in steel construction is being investigated by university researchers and a joint industry task group comprised of members of the Steel Founder Society of America (SFSA) and the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). The objective of the program is to identify structural steel applications where the use of cast modular components can: (1) improve economy and/or reliability of a component; (2) eliminate difficult or costly fabrication and/or difficult or dangerous erection; and, (3) permit the use of steel construction in situations previously unexplored for practical reasons. The program is focusing on cast modular components for three applications: (1) Ductile components for steel special moment frames (SMFs); (2) Modular connections for hollow structural sections (HSS); and (3) Modular components for seismic bracing systems (CBFs and EBFs). Four connection prototypes have been developed for use in steel SMFs: a panel zone dissipator modular node (PZ-MN), a plastic hinge dissipator modular node (PH-MN), a bolted plastic hinge connector (BPHC), and a bolted modular connector (MC). The prototypes were tested in full-scale under the FEMA-350 protocol and exhibited remarkable ductility, repeatability, and enhanced energy dissipation characteristics. Currently, cast modular components are being developed for HSS that eliminate difficult fit-up and fabrication, improve strength and provide an architectural advantage, and in EBFs that eliminate expensive fabrication and speed up erection times.
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